Cherry Blossom 2016

Happy Easter!

I finally hired a photographer! The cherry blossom pictures are what I try for every year...ten years later, I finally figured it out...I can't do it all!

Love this pose.

Sean, 10. Looking older!

My Sweet Pea, almost 8...I just noticed the photographer erased her Snowzilla wound on her forehead.

Kieran, 4. This captures his sweet personality pretty well.

Baby Finn is closing in on 1 year. ;(

Cherry blossoms and 40 weeks pregnant

We were facing right into the sun but at least it's better than our Easter pictures! Thanks to Adam's parents for our new tripod.

This morning, Adam woke up early to buy some Krispy Kreme donuts for an early morning excursion to see the puffy cherry blossoms downtown. Unfortunately, even though we were there at 7:15am, it was too late so we're going to go either tomorrow morning or Monday morning. This tree is beautiful but not nearly as puffy and pretty as the ones downtown. BUT it's on base with the Potomac in the background so we had a dry run just in case baby decides to make an appearance tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow, I'll officially be 40 weeks when we wake up! Due date is April 12th and no real signs of labor yet. This baby is hanging out much longer than his siblings. I have another ultrasound to check amniotic fluid on Monday and then my weekly prenatal appointment on Tuesday which will include baby's second non-stress test. The midwives will ask if I want any interventions performed (membrane stripping, cervidil gel, etc) and as of right now, I'm going to decline. I think they will insist around the 41 week mark...I'll have to find out the details on Tuesday since I never thought I'd still be pregnant!

Cherry Blossoms 2014

Once again, I tortured my children by taking them down to see the cherry blossoms. We happened to go on Peak Blossom day. It was a gorgeous sunny day, we found a parking spot, and Sean was the only pill. Three things to be happy about! All these pictures were taken quickly with no thought as to composition, lighting, etc. I snapped while pushing the stroller in most cases. 

Trying to get them to stay put,  look at the camera AND make sure no one was walking in between them and the camera is a feat!

Sean rode his scooter. Pea's not quite old enough to navigate safely through the throngs of people.

Lot, nice update to the beaver photo op. 

Beav, beav.

2013 Cherry Blossoms

We trekked back to the Tidal Basin to see the cherry trees in peak bloom. They were gorgeous as usual. As usual, Sean would have rather stayed home (he is not a fan of big crowds and doing nothing but smiling at cameras...) Pea is still recovering from the same thing Sean had last week when Erin and John were here. General lethargy and no appetite. Hoping she doesn't get as grumpy as Sean was the first day he was able to join the land of the living after 2 1/2 days on the couch! Luckily, he's back to normal and she'll be feeling better by tomorrow I think.

This was definitely the best pic I hoped to get amidst throngs of cherry blossom admirers. The lighting was difficult, directly behind us.

I still have so much to learn about photography. I had the f-stop way off  in this picture. That coupled with Sean's funny expression makes this an outtake! Plus Adam mentioned that there are no blossoms visible in this picture!

Today was the Peak Bloom day so we scooted in in between Adam's Air Force job and a pay gig. You can see the scaffolding going up the Washington Monument. The repairs from the earthquake in 2011 will take a few years.

Cherry Blossoms and future trips

Life is busy busy busy! Kieran is still not napping consistently, though hour-long naps are not unheard of. His first two teeth just came in and he was miserable for much of the days of last week. I'm debating whether to get his next round of vaccines or wait since he'll be in complete misery if we do that this week.

Adam's band is going on tour again but this time, the kids and I are running off to stay with his parents. I'm so thankful they're willing to put up with us for such a long time. Overall, I know it'll be easier being with them than at home. Some things will be harder, such as not having a car and not being at home and missing our friends but having help making dinner, doing dishes and a break from all three kids at once is more important. The kids are excited about flying up there. I'm actually not worried about the flight up there with three like I was with two. Unless Kieran screams the whole time like baby Pea did once. That was no fun!

In the summer, we're driving down to Florida for some much needed time with my family. It'll be a Gill family reunion and I can't wait! It'll be crazy hot but we'll have the beach to cool off in when necessary. I was worried about the car ride down there but Kieran and I have practiced our nursing sessions while he and I are both still buckled up. :) It actually works though I might need some chiropractic work by the time we get there! Cathleen wouldn't stand for nursing in the car so she just screamed. I didn't even think to try it with Sean.

Speaking of Cathleen, she's turning FOUR soon! She is so excited! She's also very excited to get to Florida so she can receive lots more clothes from cousin Avery. One of Cathleen's favorite things is to  go down to the basement and go through the one remaining tub of clothes from Avery's last donation. My little girl fits the stereotype perfectly: she loves clothes! I've learned not to mention that something doesn't match or it's the wrong season. She doesn't care and would rather look good and freeze than wear a jacket over her nice clothes.

As a family, we've rid our house of all grains and sugars. Since March 8th. Adam's been eating this way on and off for almost two years. When he's on top of things (not on tour, etc) he is more fit and healthier than ever. For those of you who like to educate yourselves, here's a good place to start. I know that the insulin spike is something to be concerned with (esp with my penchant for sweets) and I want to take care of myself for my babies if nothing else, so I am on a 30-day trial. I do eat dark chocolate here and there but we literally threw the sugar and flour into the garbage. That was key for me b/c I can make a million different sweets quickly if I needed a fix! And I did have a serious addiction. The kids are eating up a storm...lots of meat, veggies and fruit. The most amazing thing to me is how sweet fruit is once my sweet receptors were no longer used to straight sugar. I had an orange the other day that was almost over-the-top sweet! Same with a grapefruit. We'll have cake for Pea's birthday, Sean made an ice cream dessert from his cookbook and we'll probably have stuffing, etc for Thanksgiving but I don't see us going back to the gluten/sugar insulin spike way of life. At least I hope we don't. It'll be hard when we're on the road but we'll get back into the swing of things once we get back home and those things aren't available.

Kieran is just now starting to eat solid food. He feeds himself by grabbing whatever he can and sucks/gums it to death. We are not feeding him any cereals of course and we don't spoonfeed him as a rule. I'm late to the party with that one but I love it. We didn't feed Cathleen much rice cereal or grains much either but we did spoonfeed her. Kieran is just in the exploration stage with solids and is able to do it at his own pace without us shoving a spoon in his mouth.

Kieran is also desperate to crawl. When seated on the floor, he leans forward onto his hands and rocks trying to get up on all fours. He usually flops down on his belly once his legs are out of the way. Sean was standing up next to furniture by this time but Kieran isn't interested in standing at all. Just crawling. Maybe he'll be our first crawler.

Our first picture at the Cherry Blossom Festival (well the festival was the next week but the blossoms peaked early) was at the beaver sign, just like the past few years.

Sweet Pea was upset about something and Sean insisted on holding her hand. 

I had no idea that Kieran was smiling until I uploaded all the pictures! i knew he was smiley that morning b/c as I pushed him in the stroller I heard passersby mention to each other that he must be a happy baby.

Sean and his favorite tulips.

Pea and her favorite tulips.

I like this picture because it shows Pea after I told her not to smile (you know, that cheesy smile kids do.) She didn't know what to do with herself so she slumped over. 

After a nice mother walking by offered to take our family picture, Sean decided he had had enough and was going to watch.

But, he was perfectly happy posing with the beaver.

The older two ate hotdogs (first bread they've had in a month) while Kieran played with a stick. My sister has mentioned that people stop and stare at her kids b/c of their super blonde hair. Never happened to me. But this day, loads of Japanese tourists stopped looking at the blossoms to admire the kids while they picnicked. A few even took pictures. It was weird. They watched for minutes not just seconds. ??

My mom gave us some money to support our little homeschool (she doesn't listen even when I insist we don't need it) so we all now have watercolor joutnals. Pea has been particularly interested. She's drawn and painted more than Sean and me. That thing she's holding is a waterbrush. We carry that around plus our journals and watercolor crayons wherever we go so when the mood strikes, we can draw and write about the moment. I've even started to sketch things!

Sean working hard on drawing one of the many bicycles we saw downtown.

We visited Aunt Laura and Uncle Jason. Sean did really well..still a bit silly/wild in the beginning but overall much better than the last few times with Leif. Kieran and James were fun to watch stare at each other.

The thing that strikes me most about this picture is Cathleen's outfit! That girl won't be denied her fashion diva!

James is a very chill baby and Uncle Adam delighted in making him smile.